Each year we witness new innovations in mobile camera technology — what comes next is always highly anticipated. This year, Xiaomi launched their top player, the Xiaomi 12T Pro, with impressive advancements, featuring an industry-leading 200MP imaging system.
While the aforementioned seems very enticing, our practical side also searches for versatility from our devices so it may serve multiple aspects of our lives.
Design and build
While it seems tempting to hop on design trends for smartphones, Xiaomi decided to stick to the status quo. Still embodying the craftsmanship the brand is known for, the design of 12T Pro looks refreshing yet innovative. On top of this, the build quality feels robust and luxurious with its glass front and anti-glare glass back. Notably, the device is quite hefty weighing 205g and measuring 8.6mm thick, but it’s justifiably so.
Dressed up in black with a matte finish, the sleek design is suitable for those who like to keep it minimalist and professional. It also comes in Silver and Blue — both embracing the same elegance. The finish isn’t all fingerprint proof; you’ll still see minimal smudges, but fortunately not as pesky compared to glossy finishes.
Display and Audio
Up front, what greets you is the 6.67-inch CrystalRes AMOLED DotDisplay with a 2712 x 1220 pixel resolution. And yes, at first look you’ll instantly be wowed by its front panel as it has Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. It exhibits a high contrast ratio, crisp details, and vivid colors that are wonderful to look at from any angle. Meanwhile, viewing outdoors requires minimal effort since it sports up to 900 nits of brightness.
Additionally, the display comes with smart adaptive features such as AdaptiveSync and Adaptive Reading mode to adjust refresh rate and reduce blue light, respectively.
Wondering why your initial interaction with your smartphone was a breeze? You have the complementing powers of the 120Hz refresh rate and 480Hz touch sampling rate to be thankful for.
If you like what you see, you’ll like it even more with what you hear. Paired with Harman Kardon speakers, you get fully immersed in the great audiovisual experience. Viewed in landscape mode, the 12T Pro offers amazing surround sound while streaming Netflix or Disney+ series as speakers are situated top and bottom.
Camera
We move on to the main event — the 200MP imaging system. Amplifying the appeal of the ultra-high resolution sensor are the OIS and 8P lenses — necessary for stabilizing shots taken in motion and reducing distortions on a wide angle camera.
As the saying goes, “It’s all in the details.” Putting that in perspective, the main shooter impresses with the way it transforms the mundane into something striking. You can see it in the level of detail and clarity of the images. On top of that, it exhibits good color accuracy.
Even in low light conditions, it does a great job producing bright and vivid images, all while retaining the details of the subject. It’s evident that there are significant enhancements in optical hardware and AI algorithms. As a night person, this feature is one of the things I truly appreciate. I can take advantage of this during date nights and night outs with the girls.
Another feature at your disposal is the Xiaomi ProCut. Simply put, this gives you a variety of compositions and croppings to choose from a single shot taken in Ultra HD mode. With a high megapixel camera, you don’t have to worry about your images losing clarity and detail.
Outcome of the portrait shots was amazing. It can come close to shots taken by professional cameras with the way it naturally highlights the subject amid a blurry backdrop.
As for shooting videos, you can rely heavily on its Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). Upon doing panning shots, I noticed this feature was at play. What would otherwise have been wobbly footage became significantly stable thanks to its strong OIS capabilities. Since short-form videos are often taken with our handy smartphones, we’ll be having a tight knit relationship with this feature.
You can even get creative by playing around with the Vlog and Dual-View Video Mode, Movie and Clone Effects, and many more.
The 12T Pro didn’t fall short in providing sharp and clear selfies with the 20MP front-facing camera in multiple lighting scenarios; hence, this completes the package, making it an excellent companion for shooting stills and videos for your next content.
Performance
If you’re a go-getter and a doer, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor fused with 8GB + 3GB RAM makes for a powerful arsenal to carry out tasks ranging from light to intensive. That’s the versatility most of us need in the workplace. In my experience, daily use was satisfying with the seamless app switch, mobile browsing, content posting, multi-tasking, among others.
Once we take off our professional hats, we make room for a lot of de-stressing and entertainment. Engaging in graphically demanding games like Asphalt 9 remained stutter-free — even at the highest graphic setting. Similarly, playing Mobile Legends was smooth and uninterrupted as well. The liquid cooling system can give the confidence boost during prolonged hours of gaming.
It also houses a generous 256GB storage, which gives you the liberty to download as many apps and capture as many photos and videos without any fuss. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a microSD slot, but then again the aforementioned will still go a long way.
Battery
It’s not often that we receive generous battery life in flagship phones — 5000mAh to be exact. You won’t experience downtime throughout the day, which is important when you’re out from day till night.
It can last you a full day without having to recharge even with moderate-to-heavy use. For me, this consisted of shooting photos and videos, editing them, and posting on social media, responding to emails and messages, and spending breaks watching Netflix series, scrolling through social media, or listening to Spotify.
Powering up the device from 0 to 100% using the 120W HyperCharger rendered a shockingly short 28-minute waiting time. That’s more than welcome — and I will do so with open arms — in my daily hustle.
Verdict
The Xiaomi 12T Pro was able to put its best foot forward in all facets — from its pro-grade camera technology to its highly immersive audiovisual experience, fast-charging capabilities, and powerful chipset. The cherry on top was the massive battery in a flagship phone, you don’t see that very often!
Everything considered, we can bank on this smartphone to elevate our personal and professional lives. Especially if you’re a content creator, you’ll find yourself in good hands as it’s a good alternative to expensive camera equipment.
Price and Availability
Priced at PHP 37,999, you’ll happily take home your own flagship smartphone knowing that it excels on all fronts without hurting your wallet.
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